Twelfth Night Talk

Director Rebecca Bayla Taichman discusses her production of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" Viola: "Make me a willow cabin at your gate/ And call upon my soul within the house,/ Write loyal cantons of contemned love, /And sing them loud even in the dead of night; /Halloo your name to the reverberate hills,/ And make the babbling gossip of the air/ Cry out 'Olivia!' O, you should not rest /Between the elements of air and earth/ But you should pity me."

Twelfth Night: Malvolio and the letter

Twelfth Night: Or what you will - Part 3

The Beginning

Now that you have a handle on what goes on in Twelfth Night, the real fun begins. Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's later comedies and so he was able to incorporate a lot of devices into the play that had worked for him and others in the past. Mistaken identities. Check. Shipwreck. Check. Women disguised as men. Check. Ensuing confusion. Check and check. But what makes Twelfth Night so special, is that there is some real sustenance behind all the comedy. We can't, and wouldn't want to change the fact that the play is a comedy, so there are a lot of gags pulled for comedic effect, but Shakespeare works with a much tighter plot and is able to illuminate the relationships of the characters a lot better. The play covers a span of three months, so there is not so much love at first sight, though Sebastian does marry Olivia right away but that is more in the name of madness than love. There are no duke brothers trying to kill each other and take over the dukedom, no witches, no angry merchants hankering for a pound of flesh, and no rebellious daughters with overbearing fathers. Because there is no singular enemy, the play becomes much more about the interaction between the characters and what drives them. Key words that are repeated again and again are: dreams, madness, love, and fortune/time. Viola, for example, doesn't scheme about how she can get Orsino, even when she falls in love with him. When she finds herself in the awkward love triangle, she says, "Oh time, thou must untangle this, not I/ It is too hard a knot for me t' untie." The whole reason she is even in Illyria is because her ship just happened to crash there and she did what she needed to do in order to get by.

Act V

Feste is on his way to deliver Malvolio's letter, accompanied by Fabian who begs to read it. Feste refuses and they run into Orsino and Viola, still as Cesario. Feste entertains the Duke with his wit and receives money for his efforts. Antonio is led in by some officers and Viola explains to Orsino what Antonio did for her. Orsino remembers Antonio who destroyed one of his ships. Antonio explains how he saved Sebastian and was betrayed by the boy who stands before him now. Antonio:

"A witchcraft drew me hither.
That most ingrateful boy there by your side
From the rude sea's enraged and foamy mouth
Did I redeem. A wreck past hope he was.
His life I gave him, and did thereto add
My love without retention or restraint."

Olivia enters next and it is revealed that she is now married to Sebastian, who she still thinks is Cesario. Orsino becomes furious and this is the second and third betrayals that result from the mistaken identities of the twins. Viola swears she loves Orsino more than Olivia. Sir Andrew comes in, having been just beaten up by Sebastian along with Sir Toby. Sebastian follows them in, apologizing to his new wife for having to defend himself against her uncle. In Sebastian's appearance everything is explained and set right. (Sebastian see Viola dressed as Cesario):

"Do I stand there? I never had a brother,
Nor can there be that deity in my nature
Of here and everywhere. I had a sister,
Whom the blind waves and surges have devoured."

The siblings rejoice that the other is alive, Antonio realizes Sebastian didn't deny knowing him after all, Olivia wasn't ever rejected by her husband or any man at all, and Orsino discovers Cesario is Viola who is a woman very much in love with him. He offers to marry her and she accepts. Olivia finally gets the letter from Malvolio that Feste delivers. She is shocked and dismayed by the treatment of her servant at the hands of her uncle and Maria, who have run off and married. Malvolio enters and accuses Olivia of masterminding the entire affair. This is the fourth and the last time a character is thought to be betrayed by someone close to them because of someone pretending to be someone they are not - Maria forging the letter in Olivia's handwriting. Olivia finally reveals to Malvolio that it wasn't her and offers him justice, but Fabian suggests that he put the whole matter behind him, and they should be considered equal. Malvolio storms out promising revenge. Orisno tells Cesario to go change into Viola and Feste ends the play with a song - fitting for the festivities of Twelfth Night.

"When that I was and a little tiny boy,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
A foolish thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.
But when I came to man's estate,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain.
'Gainst knaves and thieves men shut their gate,
For the rain, it raineth every day.
But when I came, alas! to wive,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain.
By swaggering could I never thrive,
For the rain, it raineth every day.
But when I came unto my beds,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain.
With toss-pots still had drunken heads,
For the rain, it raineth every day.
A great while ago the world begun,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain.
But that's all one, our play is done,
And we'll strive to please you every day."

Act IV

Feste is sent to fetch Cesario but runs into Sebastian instead. Feste insists he is someone else and but Sebastian denies knowing him or his lady. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew enter next and strike Sebastian. They too believe he is Cesario, who they just saw supposedly give up his friend. They are startled when Sebastian takes out his dagger and strikes Sir Andrew back. Sir Toby has to hold him off, and Feste goes to tell Olivia what has happened. Sir Toby and Sebastian are about to fight when Olivia comes in drives everyone but Sebastian away. She entreats him to come back to her house and he follows her home like a lost puppy. Sebastian:

"What relish is in this? How runs the stream?
Or I am mad, or else this is a dream.
Let fancy still my sense in Lethe steep.
If it be thus to dream, still let me sleep."

Later, Maria dresses Feste up as Sir Topas the curate who may determine whether poor Malvolio, who is locked up in a dark room, is possessed or crazy. He speaks to Malvolio through the door first as Sir Topos, then as the fool, then as Sir Topos, until Feste is having a conversation with himself and Malvolio is the one accused of being insane? Malvolio finally gets Feste to agree to send a letter to Olivia describing his current situation. Malvolio:

"I say this house is as dark as ignorance, thoug igno-
rance were as dark as hell; and I say there was never man thus
abused. I am no more mad than you are. Make the trial of it in
any constant question."

Meanwhile, Sebastian wonders what happened to Antonio as he has heard rumors that Antonio went looking for him. Olivia has asked Sebastian, who she still believes is Cesario, to marry her. Strangely enough, he says yes. She returns with a priest to marry them before he can change his mind. Sebastian:

"For though my soul disputes well with my sense
That this may be some error but no madness,
Yet doth this accident and flood of fortune
So far exceed all instance, all discourse,
That I am ready to distrust my eyes
And wrangle with my reason that persuades me
To any other trust but that I am mad,
Or else the lady's mad."

Act III Scene 4

Olivia summons Malvolio after being disappointed by Cesario's refusal. Maria warns her that Malvolio is not himself. Malvolio enters, cross-gartered and wearing yellow stockings. He smiles at her and flirts with her. All the while, Olivia is truly confused and concerned. He quotes snippets from the letter to her, which only confuses her further. Maria is standing there the entire time. Olivia:

"Why, this is very midsummer madness."

A servant enters to tell Olivia that Cesario has returned. Olivia bids Maria to have Malvolio looked after either by her uncle or her servants. She truly cares for Malvolio and says, "I would not have him miscarry for the half of my dowry." They both leave and Malvolio is left on stage, further encouraged by Olivia's care for him and all the more convinced that she is in love with him. Sir Toby, Fabian, and Maria come back on stage and accuse him of being possessed and mad. They decide to take their ruse a step further and have him locked up in a dark room and committed. Mavolio takes them as fools and he leaves. Fabian:

"If this were played upon a stage, now, I could condemn
it as an improbable fiction."

Sir Andrew comes in and reads his challenge words off to the group. They spur him on, secretly making fun of him. Maria suggests Sir Andrew go deliver it now as Cesario is there talking with Olivia and Sir Andrew goes off. Olivia and Cesario come in and Sir Toby leaves with Fabian to think on what he will say to Cesario when he is alone. Olivia gives Cesario a token of her affection. But they have come to a stalemate. Olivia can't give her heart to Orisino because she has already given it to Cesario, who as a woman who loves Orsino cannot reciprocate.

"Well, come again tomorrow. Fare thee well.
A fiend like thee might bear my soul to hell."

After Olivia leaves, Sir Toby comes in to deliver Sir Andrew's challenge. Fabian terrifies Viola with lies about Sir Andrew's deadly skill and great strength. Cesario insists that he hasn't done anything to this man. Sir Toby plays Sir Andrew as well, lying that Cesario is an extremely skilled fighter. They bring the two together to face off against each other. Each is absolutely terrified of the other, and then Antonio steps in and draws his sword against Sir Andrew. Viola has been mistaken as Sebastian. Officers come in, presumably drawn by the fight, and seeing Antonio, arrest him. Antonio asks for his purse back from Cesario, who offers him a loan for his help but admits to never seeing him before in his life. Antonio reminds Cesario that he saved his life, calling him Sebastian. He feels hurt and betrayed. They lead Antonio away and Viola is given new hope that her brother is still alive. Viola:

"Methinks his words do from such passion fly
That he believes himself. So do not I.
Prove true, imagination, O prove true,
That I, dear brother, be now ta'en for you!"